Bellator FCBellator MMA (Bellator) is the 2nd largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the USA and the largest tournament-based MMA organization in the world. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, the company was formed in 2008 by Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. Bellator’s events are primarily structured around tournaments. The tournament winner is declared the number one contender in their respective weight class, and is awarded a check for $100,000 and a shot at the reigning Bellator champion. Bellator uses the motto “The Toughest Tournament In Sports” Bellator FC now airs on Spike TV Thursday nights!

Former Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers (11-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC) has signed with Bellator and will make his promotional debut later this month at Bellator 71.

Bellator officials today announced the signing, though an opponent wasn't disclosed.

Rogers is stuck in a 1-4 skid and has fought just once since September, due in part to his arrest stemming from a domestic dispute. However, he said those issues are now behind him.

Rogers ultimately was sentenced to 60 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a single count of felony third-degree assault following a September incident with his wife and kid.

Bellator 72, which kicks off the organization's three-event "Summer Series," takes place June 22 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort in Chester, W.V. The night's main card airs on MTV2, and Spike.com carries the prelims. It's not clear where Rogers will end up on the lineup.

"I am incredibly thankful to Bjorn Rebney and Bellator for giving me and my family this opportunity," Rogers stated. "I feel that I am still one of the top heavyweights in the sport, and now I have the opportunity to prove it with Bellator. I love the tournament format as it will give me the chance to regain my top position, of course with a lot hard work."

Rogers, who opened his career with a 9-0 record, was immediately released from Strikeforce upon his arrest. In September, he lost a split decision to Bellator and UFC vet Eddie Sanchez at Titan Fighting Championships 20. He is 1-4 in his past five outings, though three of his losses have come against top-tier heavyweights Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett. Most recently, he fought Todd Allee to a no-contest (due to Rogers' accidental strikes to the back of the head) in February.

"Over the past year I have been challenged in my personal life, but all is now good in the Rogers family," Rogers stated. "Everyone makes mistakes in life, but it's how you recover that really counts. I spend every day with my wife and kids and enjoy every minute of it. Fighting is my job, and I love it, but I also love my family, and that's why I made things right before returning to the cage. All I can say is get ready for a new and improved Brett Rogers."

Honestly, **** BRETT ROGERS! I doubt he got it too bad in prison.. Hopefully someone knocks his wifebeating arse out Being a 260lb martial artist, full mounting and pounding your wife (not a sex act) is not a mistake. He would have realised what he was doing the second he threw her on the floor.

Honestly, **** BRETT ROGERS! I doubt he got it too bad in prison.. Hopefully someone knocks his wifebeating arse out Being a 260lb martial artist, full mounting and pounding your wife (not a sex act) is not a mistake. He would have realised what he was doing the second he threw her on the floor.

Is that really what happened?

I figured he just smacked her, which isn't cool either, but he straight up GNP'd her? That's really effed up.

Whatever, unless he has worked CONSIDERABLY on his grappling, he isn't gonna go anywhere. He's 1-4 recently and has taken some really bad KO losses (Fedor, Overeem).

All he's got (that we've seen) is his strong punches. Cole Konrad could beat him very easily.

I figured he just smacked her, which isn't cool either, but he straight up GNP'd her? That's really effed up.

Whatever, unless he has worked CONSIDERABLY on his grappling, he isn't gonna go anywhere. He's 1-4 recently and has taken some really bad KO losses (Fedor, Overeem).

All he's got (that we've seen) is his strong punches. Cole Konrad could beat him very easily.

Quote:

While Brett Rogers isn’t a Hollywood celebrity, he is a somewhat notable MMA fighter who recently competed in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Tournament losing to Josh Barnett. He hasn’t had a notable win since knocking out Andrei Arlovski in 2009.

Anyway, Rogers was arrested and jailed on on Thursday after assaulting his wife. Granted, assault is putting it mildly. It was more like an annihilation. I’m not good with numbers but this might be 100 times worse than what Chris Brown did.

MyFox says he strangled his wife, punched her repeatedly in the head and face and that she lost a tooth in the struggle. Rogers said he had been drinking and began arguing with his wife. She supposedly punched him and he retaliated. Rogers, by the way, is 6’4”, 258lbs. Also, his wife is named Tijauna Rogers. Oh. My. God.

According to the full report, Rogers’ neighbor witnessed him punching his wife, T.R., multiple times in the head and face as she lay on the ground. Another neighbor saw T.R. with blood streaming down her face and mouth and noticed she was missing a tooth. Rogers’ nine-year old daughter said she heard her parents yelling, went to the kitchen and saw her father pushing her mother multiple times up against a kitchen cabinet. His ten-year old daughter heard the shouting and claimed he had struck the children within the last two years.

T.R. was found walking by a nearby school. She had noticeable injuries on her face including a golf ball size bump over her left eyebrow, a bump on her right eyebrow and one in the middle of her forehead, injuries to her ears and jaw, along with blood on her face and a missing tooth. She also had injuries to her neck and back. T.R. denied she had been assaulted and said she just fell. What the hell did she fall in? A trash compactor? A MMA cage?

T.R. later told cops that she and Rogers were arguing when he grabbed her around the neck with both hands and squeezed. She escaped into the backyard but Rogers followed and started ground and pounding her until she blacked out. At the hospital, her ears had swollen into a “cauliflower ear” look. T.R. didn’t want Rogers charged with assault because she didn’t want to get him in trouble. This is the part where you shake your head and sigh.

And of course someone edited his Wikipedia page to reflect his biggest win since Ruben Villareal. He won KO of the night apparently but he’s since been cut by the UFC (who owns Strikeforce now) effective immediately. What’s up with that? I bet you anything the ref in this fight was Cecil Peoples.